Elections board approves 8,439 provision ballots

The Lucas County Board of Elections today approved 8,439 provisional ballots to add to the count from Nov. 6, with the potential to change the outcomes of two races.

The final outcome won't be known until Monday when the board meets again to certify the final vote of the election.

A proposed new levy for the Imagination Station children's museum failed by 1,075 votes in the preliminary count, but that outcome would be reversed if the levy gets 1,076 more "yes" votes than "no" votes in the provisional ballots. Assuming all 8,439 voters voted on Imagination Station, it would need 56.3 percent of all the provisional ballots to pass.

Also in the balance, although with higher odds against a change, is a race for Lucas County Common Pleas Court between incumbent Democrat Myron Duhart and Republican Kenneth Phillips. Judge Duhart holds a lead of 2,954 votes in the preliminary count.

In all, 10,237 provisional ballots were cast on Election Day or at the Early Vote Center. The major reasons for the rejection of 1,807 ballots were that voters were not registered (906), ballots were cast in the wrong precinct and wrong polling location (442), ballots lacked the voter's signature (252), and 207 for a variety of other reasons.

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